https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly.atomThe De Beauvoir Deli Co - The De Beauvoir Belly2018-08-13T16:50:00+01:00The De Beauvoir Deli Cohttps://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/cod-burger-recipe2018-08-13T16:50:00+01:002018-08-13T16:52:32+01:00Quick, easy, fresh, and blooming tasty! - Spiced Cod 'burger' with heirloom tomato saladDanny Fisher
Who knows what the weather is doing from one day to the next. I know it's the national pass time to talk about the weather, but it really affects what I want to eat. If it's hot, I want something fresh that reminds me of being on holiday, having dinner by the sea and watching the sun set over the horizon. If it's miserable and raining, I want something that's going to give me a big hug. Luckily, this little dish gives you both - perfect for the British summer!

Who knows what the weather is doing from one day to the next. I know it's the national pass time to talk about the weather, but it really affects what I want to eat. If it's hot, I want something fresh that reminds me of being on holiday, having dinner by the sea and watching the sun set over the horizon. If it's miserable and raining, I want something that's going to give me a big hug. Luckily, this little dish gives you both - perfect for the British summer!

Spiced sustainable cod 'burger' with Heirloom tomato salad

serves 2, but it's hardly rocket science to change the quantities...

2 sustainably caught cod fillets (about 150g each) skin on.

2 tortano rolls

Handful of wild rocket (washed)

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise - homemade preferable, but I used Tracklements for this one

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp corn flour

4 juicy heirloom tomatoes

Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil

sprig of thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Forget your 15 minute meals - this was on the table in 10 with no rushing at all. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and let it warm up. Then take a plate and mix the corn flour, paprika, garam masala, and a pinch of salt onto it. It's time to coat your cod fillets liberally with the spice and flour mix. Make sure every part is covered and really press the fish into the mix. The corn flour will give a really lovely crunch to the outside without feeling too heavy.

All coated? Good. Now pour a generous glug of rapeseed oil into your pan, probably half a centimetre deep. Place the cod in skin side down and don't touch it for 3 minutes. To help you with the temptation of touching it, cut your tortano rolls in half. Then chunk up your heirloom tomatoes, and put in a bowl with another glug of cold pressed rapeseed oil, the leaves from a sprig of time, and a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Leave to one side to infuse.

That probably took you about 3 minutes. Now, turn the fish over and cook for another minute or so on the fleshy side. After a minute, remove the fish to a plate to rest, and place the Tortano rolls into the pan to toast and char, and suck up the paprika, masala infused oil. I've talked about Tortano bread on here before, but I really love it! Sourdough with baked potatoes folded into the bread - just amazing, and really helps with the comfort as it begins to drizzle outside...

Anyhow, back to the dish. Give the rolls about a minute or so until they get slightly charred on the cut side. Now, assembly. Bottom half of roll, mayo, cod, rocket, mayo, top half of roll. A sriracha mayo or perhaps a tartare sauce could work well, and maybe a couple of pickled chillies if you feel the need for a bit more heat. Mayo worked perfectly for me on this one. Add the beautiful heirloom tomatoes (the thyme really makes them ping) and devour. Reminiscent of a Baha fish taco in the sun, or the best fish finger sandwich you've ever had if it's a wet Wednesday.

Products can all be found at the De Beauvoir Deli - 98 Southgate Road, N1 3JD from our wonderful suppliers:

Sustainably caught cod - The Fresh Fish Shop

Tortano rolls - The Flour Station

Wild Rocket - Chegworth Valley

Heirloom tomatoes - The Tomato Stall

Mayo - Tracklements

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/sharing-pasta-recipe2018-05-29T14:40:00+01:002018-05-29T14:40:16+01:00Pasta was made for sharing - all using DBD produceDanny Fisher
We have the most amazing suppliers with wonderful produce, which really makes you look good whatever standard of cook you are. This recipe is pretty difficult to mess up and is a great family sharing plate of pasta – easy enough for a midweek supper, and the leftovers make a pretty special pasta salad for your lunchbox the next day, or as one of those pesky meat free sides at a barbecue to eat while the designated macho man/woman on the grill is messing around with trying to light the charcoal.

]]>
Long time no speak… sorry about that. It’s been a busy few months, but we’re back on the blog now and bringing you fresh easy recipes using the ace produce we have at the deli. We have the most amazing suppliers with wonderful produce, which really makes you look good whatever standard of cook you are. This recipe is pretty difficult to mess up and is a great family sharing plate of pasta – easy enough for a midweek supper, and the leftovers make a pretty special pasta salad for your lunchbox the next day, or as one of those pesky meat free sides at a barbecue to eat while the designated macho man/woman on the grill is messing around with trying to light the charcoal. Everything in this recipe is available from The De Beauvoir Deli (apart from the dill, which was from my garden, and the peas, which were from my freezer)..

2 handfuls of frozen peas – fresh would be great here to, but I didn’t have them, and I’m a big fan of frozen peas.

1 handful of dill – coarsely chopped, just the fronds for this one

Yare Valley Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Let’s get prepped. A la a certain well-known chef, you can do this all in 15 minutes, if you have everything ready to go. Boil the kettle, get the grill heating up, and get a large saucepan on a medium heat. Have a big pot ready for cooking the pasta – you’ll need about 3L of water so might need the kettle on twice. If you’re feeling brave, you can do everything else in the time it takes the pasta to cook. If not, the sauce will hold and heat up again nicely. Let’s imagine we’re brave.

Get your water boiling – proper boiling, not just simmering. Put in a big handful of salt, and let it come back up to the rolling boil. Put the pasta in and give it a stir. That’ll be done in 10 minutes or so (read what it says on the packet, then take off a couple of minutes).

Leave the asparagus whole in the bunch – rubber band and all – and dunk it into the pasta water for 1 minute. Fish it out and leave it to one side. No need to refresh it. Put a glug of oil into your saucepan and then straight in with the shallot and garlic. Let them soften but not brown. Rinse your spinach to remove any unwanted mud, and straight into the saucepan. Give everything a stir, then on with the lid. The residual water from the rinse should be enough to get some steam going. If not, add a little of the pasta cooking water. This should take a minute or two – plenty of time to get your hot smoked salmon under the grill – skin side up as you’ll be discarding this later and it will work as a good protector of the flesh underneath.

Throw the frozen peas into the saucepan, and give them a minute to unfreeze. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Check your pasta at this stage, just in case you’ve taken a bit longer than planned. If so, drain it and reserve a bit of the pasta water, in case the sauce needs it.

Trim the woody ends off your asparagus and cut in half, leaving you with a spear, and a bit that looks like a fat green bean. Slice the ‘green bean’ end and stir into the sauce. Leave the spears for later. Turn the heat down on the saucepan, add the lemon juice, crème fraiche, and half the dill. Season to taste. Remember that the salmon will be slightly salty, so bear that in mind – you can always add etc. Speaking of the salmon, time to rescue it from the grill. The skin will most probably be black – but it’s going in the bin, so don’t worry. Leave it to one side as it’ll be too hot to handle.

Even if you’ve been speedy, the pasta will need draining now. Drain it quickly and straight into the sauce. We want that little bit of residual pasta water – it will bring the sauce together. Give everything a stir together, add the asparagus spears, put a lid on the pan and take it off the hob. There’s plenty of heat there to keep everything warm.

Now remove the skin and any brown bits from the underside of the salmon and flake into big chunks. Pour the pasta onto a big serving plate, top with the flaked salmon and the rest of the dill. Take a better photo than I did, and then tuck in with a crisp white. I went for a Picpoul de Pinet, handily also available at the De Beauvoir Deli.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/pancakes-are-for-life-not-just-for-erm-pancake-day2018-02-25T21:37:00+00:002018-11-30T12:28:58+00:00Pancakes are for life, not just for…erm… Pancake day.Danny Fisher

Last week we had the double whammy of Pancake day and Valentine’s Day. That’s a tough scheduling clash for the humble pancake and difficult for it to get the recognition it deserves – what with all the chocolate hearts, roses and teddy bears everywhere.

So here at the De Beauvoir Belly, we say to you –A pancakes is for life, not just for pancake day.

Last week we had the double whammy of Pancake day and Valentine’s Day. That’s a tough scheduling clash for the humble pancake and difficult for it to get the recognition it deserves – what with all the chocolate hearts, roses and teddy bears everywhere.

So here at the De Beauvoir Belly, we say to you –A pancakes is for life, not just for pancake day. You, your favourite non-stick pan, a quick calculation on ceiling height and away you go! Here’s just one recipe for a midweek supper that’ll make you wonder why you’re not making pancakes every week!

Crespoline

At least I think that’s what they’re called – an Italian friend told me they were Crespelle, and another told me Crespe, but the Italian who taught me how to make these said they were called Crespoline so I’m sticking with that. Call them ‘pancakes with spinach, ricotta, mascarpone, parmesan topped with a rich tomato sauce’ if you want, for that is what they are. Think cannelloni but with pancakes instead of pasta and you’re half way there.

Serves 4.

For the pancakes

2 free range eggs

100g Plain Flour – Wessex Mill a personal choice

300ml whole milk

10g melted butter

Pinch salt

For the filling

250g Ricotta

100g Mascarpone

500g spinach

50g parmesan and the same again for the top.

More black pepper than you think, and salt to taste

For the sauce

1 large shallot

2 cloves garlic

Squeeze of tomato puree

1 can San Marzano tomatoes

Splash balsamic vinegar

Handful of fresh basil

Glug of olive oil

A bit more salt and black pepper to taste.

All of the component parts can be made ahead of time, but you can do it all in one go. I’d tackle the pancake batter first as it’s better to let it sit for a few minutes before using it. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason for this, but I don’t know what it is. It’s just better. Crack the eggs into a large enough bowl and whisk until there is only yellowy-orange but no further. Sieve the flour and salt into the bowl and do your best to beat into a smooth paste. If you’re like me, it will all get stuck in the middle of the whisk and a mild-to-moderate swearword will pass your lips. Worry not. Add 200ml of the milk and whisk slowly until the clump had de-clumped and then give it some until it’s a smooth batter. Add the melted butter and the milk bit by bit until you get the consistency of double cream. You might not need all of the milk as all flours seem to absorb slightly differently. Leave to one side – or in the fridge if you’re prepping a long way in advance.

The filling is easy and is pretty quick. Wilt the spinach in as little water as you can manage. Just washing the spinach should be enough. Leave that to one side to get cool. You only make the mistake of wringing out boiling hot spinach once. Mix the ricotta, mascarpone, and parmesan in a bowl until combined. Leave to one side while the spinach cools.

Chop your shallot and garlic as small as you can and add to a pan on a medium heat that already contains a glug of olive oil. Sweat off gently until translucent and slightly golden. Add the tomato puree a and cook for another couple of minutes. Then a good splash of balsamic. Watch out for the vinegar fumes and make sure you let it cook out so you are left with the sweet and tartness but not the overwhelming acidity. Then add the tomatoes and the basil, which you will have dutifully chopped into a pleasing chiffonade. Season to taste and let that cook gently to intensify in flavour.

By this time, the spinach should be cool enough to handle. Place the contents into a clean muslin or tea towel and then twist and squeeze all the water from it. Some people might say that by squeezing the water out of the spinach you are losing all the flavour and nutrients. They may be right, but they are also the ones who would have a green watery mess on their plate and a ruined dinner. Squeeze that spinach. Chop it up, add to the cheese mix, season to taste, and get in the fridge to firm up.

Make the pancakes. You should get at least 8 out of that mix – so that’s a couple of extra for dessert, or a couple of practice ones that end up on the floor or in the dog. There is butter in the mix to stop them sticking, but a little extra in a non-stick pan should be a fail safe.

Assembly time. Take the pancake. Take a sixth of the spinach mix and make a little sausage shape about a third of the way down the pancake and roll up, tucking the ends in so nothing falls out. Repeat for the other five. Place the rolls snugly in an oven proof dish and top with the tomato sauce, a little more black pepper and the other 50g of grated parmesan. Bake at 180 for about 35 mins then tuck in and enjoy. A dressed green salad and a glass of Sangiovese does the trick for me.

Bonus banana pancakes.

Serves 2 (makes 6-8 pancakes)

130g plain flour

130ml whole milk

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 free range egg

1tbsp melted butter

1 ripe banana sliced

I know I said one recipe, but I had these for brekkie this morning and took a photo so think of it as a bonus, and also that I practice what I preach.

Mix all the ingredients save the banana together in a bowl until you have a smooth thick batter. Take that non-stick pan again, place on a medium heat. Dip some kitchen paper in a little more melted butter or veg oil and wipe round the pan.

Add about a table spoon of the mixture to the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can probably do two at once. Wait for a couple of seconds and then place the sliced banana onto your pancakes. Wait another 30 seconds, then flip. Cook for another minute and then serve with berries of your choice, more banana, and of course lots of maple syrup.

Happy flipping.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/no-fuss-recipes-using-some-excellent-de-beauvoir-deli-produce2017-09-25T20:52:00+01:002017-09-25T21:07:27+01:00No-fuss recipes using some excellent De Beauvoir Deli produceDanny Fisher
There are times when I’m very happy to slave over dinner for a few hours – chop everything into neat brunoise, reduce 4 different things in 4 different pans, pin bone and butterfly and stuff and butcher’s tie. And sometimes I’m not. Sometimes I’m too busy or have something better to do. So I need something that’s not going to take a lot of prep but will be satisfying and delicious. For this, I look to people cleverer than me who produce exceptional quality products, and then I do very little to them. Here at The De Beauvoir Deli we are absolutely spoilt by our suppliers so you can get everything you need for these recipes at the Deli. I mean everything!

I’m not sure I can even call them recipes can I? Yeah why not – some people have written whole recipe books on less. So, here are a couple of quick and easy recipes which fit this bill perfectly. Apologies again for the photos but I am a greedy boy and would rather eat than get the perfect shot.

“Recipe” 1 – Tortano Pizza

The Tortano Crown from The Flour Station is quite simply, and aptly, majestic. A sourdough bread shaped in a ring with baked potatoes folded into the dough mix before baking. Yes, you read correctly. Baked Potatoes in the bread. Now don’t get me wrong, this bread is perfect with just a pool of oil and balsamic to dunk in, or mopping up the remains of a stew or soup. Or, if you’re like me, use it for something it was neither designed nor intended for. I’m sure there would be Italian purists doubly annoyed at the misuse of this bread, and then having the gall to call it a pizza. Luckily I don’t care.

Feeds 2 hungry, greedy people:

1 Flour Station tortano crown

1 can San Marzano tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 sprig of oregano

1 ball buffalo mozzarella

1 spring onion

Handful of mushrooms – British Chestnut in this instance, and from Natoora

8 slices Blackhand Hackney Fennel Salami

Handful of Chegworth Valley wild rocket

De Beauvoir Deli Extra Virgin Olive oil

Mengazzoli Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Substitute any of the ingredients for anything else that you fancy more (apart from the tortano obviously)

I’ve changed my mind again. This isn’t a recipe. But this is how I made mine. Grill on to medium. Cut the tortano so that you have 2 equal rings. Put under the grill for a couple of minutes to toast the top. Take them out and preheat the oven to as high as it goes.

Now the tricky bit. Open the can of tomatoes. If you’ve managed that, you’re fine from here on in. Deposit aforementioned tomatoes into a small saucepan and onto a medium heat. Get something heavy and smash a clove of garlic then add it to the pan. Strip the leaves off the sprig of oregano and add that too. Let that simmer gently while you chop up anything else you wish to add to your pizza. In my case it was: a spring onion, finely chopped; chestnut mushrooms, sliced; mozzarella, also sliced; and some Blackhand Hackney Fennel salami, sliced to order at the deli so no further action needed.

By this time, the tomato mixture will have reduced a bit. Remove the garlic which will have done its job then mash the tomatoes with the back of a fork or… erm… a masher. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic for extra flavour and richness. Season with salt and pepper. Sauce done.

Now assemble your tortano half however you would like. I prefer the mozzarella on top so it oozes over everything else. Put into the hot oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling Fill the hole in the crown with some dressed rocket to make you feel more like you’re at a famous chain of pizzeria, and get ready not to care that you didn’t make the dough or really do much cooking at all.

Who am I kidding. This is hardly a recipe either. Anyhow, you remember when you were a kid and you used to have beans with little sausages out of a tin? Well this is nothing like that at all, apart from it might be easier than opening a tin. It’s all about the quality of the sausages and the beans – and here Brindisa and Blackhand have done all the hard work for you. Not only that, it works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Feeds 4 for dinner with a side salad or some veg and dipping bread or 6 for brekkie on toast with a couple of fried eggs.

1 pack of Blackhand Merguez sausages

1 large jar of Brindisa Navarrico Butterbeans (Judión)

1 jar of Brindisa Navarrico Piquilo peppers

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 springs thyme

1 squeeze Mutti tomato purée

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water – or stock if you don’t trust me

Firstly, find a film that lasts about 2 hours or download a couple of episodes of the one with the dragons. Preheat the oven to 150. Find an oven proof pan or dish which has a lid and is likely to hold the contents on the ingredients list. Now, peel the onion and garlic and chop as rustically as you like. Put into the vessel along with the sausages, thyme, tomato purée, butterbeans and peppers. Don’t waste the liquid from the jars. That can go in too. Top up with water, or chicken stock if you prefer, so the sausages are submerged. Put the lid on and put in the oven for 2 hours. Check at the end of the first episode that there is enough liquid in the pan, then go back to relaxing. Season to taste and serve in a big bowl with a hunk of bread.

The leftovers are great for breakfast, or make it fresh for a lazy weekend breakfast. For the toast, toast some bread. For the eggs, fry some eggs.

Yes it may be a bit cloudy and a bit rainy – but it is still summer! Bring a bit of sunshine and zing into your lives. Here’s our rundown of our favourite hot sauces and ketchups that will make you smile and get your taste buds fired up! They’re all available at the deli, so have a read, pick which ones you like the sound of, and I urge you to come in and give them a try. I promise you won’t regret it!

St John & Dolly Smith – Old Nick

Made by Chris Smith, this one-man band has a delightful story, which if you ever have the pleasure of meeting him, is well worth a listen. Luckily for the rest of you, he’s written the short version down which you can read here.

His Old Nick is my favourite hot sauce, and by hot, I mean seriously hot. There is more than one warning on the label as well as a very proud ‘Best Hot Fiery Food’ from the National Chilli awards. If you are a chilli head and haven’t got a bottle of this in your cupboards, then you must remedy the situation immediately. Made with Scotch Bonnets, ginger, garlic and the perfect blend of vinegar, salt and sugar – and nothing else. Barbecued meat loves this stuff, but it’s equally good to spice up a curry or stew, or anything really. I put some in a Thai fish cake mix and it was outstanding. Thin the sauce down with some rice wine vinegar, a bit of sugar and some water and you have a dipping sauce in seconds!

Dalston chillies – Original Hot sauce and Chipotle Ketchup

Made in Dalston by Ben Kulchstein after winning an amateur contest in 2011. The judges said that his sauce was better than the pro’s, and so Dalston Chillies was born.

His Original is a straight up Scotch Bonnet sauce – no extra frippery, just the right mix of salt, vinegar, oil, and the fiery chillies. Ben sources his chillies in West Africa to get those extra fruity flavours which really come through before the heat bashes you round the head… in a good way. Perfect in a Jerk marinade, and a great accompaniment to any Caribbean or West African dish to give it a bit of extra zing.

The chipotle ketchup is a completely different beast. Smoky, tomato-y with a little bit of heat in the background. Ace for ribs – I used it straight out of the bottle as a glaze – and just as good for dunking your chips in. Mix with a bit of mayo and you end up with the best smoky chipotle Marie Rose you could wish for – give that prawn cocktail a little extra.

Newton and Pott - Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Another of our local Hackney producers – we met Kylie on Broadway Market and have had her range of pickles and chutneys in the deli ever since. This time, we’re putting the spotlight on her Homemade Tomato Ketchup. With sweetness from apples, a gentle heat from chilli flakes and black pepper and an incredible savoury element from allspice, cloves and bay, this ketchup is going to have you leaving that famous brand on the shelves and switching to this one. Perfect for the summer barbecue – why not try her Gin Pickled Cucumbers as well to really make that burger something a little bit special.

Korean Ketchup

Let’s stay in Hackney with Christine’s sweet and spicy Korean ketchup. There’s been a real emergence of Korean food in the last few years, and if this sauce is anything to go by, it’s going to continue a good while longer. The base of fermented soya which underpins so much of Korean food transports you immediately into a different world. It’s great as a marinade, dip, but especially good slathered over chicken wings and then grilled into a sticky sweet and hot glaze. All made by hand with the batch number and bottle number on the label, this is a really special small batch sauce that you really should give a try. I’m having those chicken wings tonight now that I’ve reminded myself of how good they are!

Aphrodite’s Pomegranate Ketchup

Dixie Fingal-Rock Innes came to prominence on Channel 4’s “The Taste” and after a few more years of experimenting with flavours, we now have Aphrodite’s Pomegranate Ketchup. Made from Lebanese Pomegranate Molasses and Dixie’s own blend of spices, this is a unique product – and unbelievably versatile. Luckily for me, and now you, Dixie has come up with some great recipes to use the sauce in which you’ll find here. Try the aubergine and yoghurt salad – it’s super easy and delicious.

Rufus Teague barbecue sauce

Rufus Teague is a good ol’ Southern barbecue sauce still made in Kansas City to Rufus’ original recipes. If you like it thick, sweet, and spicy, this one is for you. Perfect with Kansas barbecue favourites like short rib, smoked brisket and pulled pork. I’ll leave it to Rufus for the last word on this one…

"Good sauce makes bad barbecue good and good barbecue gooder."

Cool Chile – Habanero hot sauce and Chipotle Ketchup

Made with the finest Mexican chillies, these sauces are the go to for all your Mexican food needs. Huevos Rancheros with a dollop of the habanero over the top takes it to another level, and tacos aren’t tacos without a splash of this hot sauce. Try adding the chipotle ketchup to an Adobo or Mole sauce, or as a great glaze for any meat or veg to take you straight to that Zocalo in Oaxaca. Check out their Tomatillo salsa as well for your nachos – fresh, zingy, blooming tasty.

It’s now officially, definitely, probably Summer. The sun is shining for the time being and that means a few things will invariably happen. The shorts that you put away in October will make a reappearance, London cabbies will have a perfect tan, but only on their right arm and… most importantly… the cobwebs will be swept away, the coals loaded and the barbecue fired up, all whilst looking at that ominous black cloud and wondering where you put the umbrella.

Sausages, check. Burgers, check. Steak, oh why not?

But what about pudding? Leave those bananas alone and reach for something else. British peaches and nectarines are absolutely amazing this time of year – ours are from Chegworth Valley in Kent. Here’s a barbecue recipe which really brings out the best in these balls of loveliness:

This one is a doddle. Get your cream ready first. Whip the double cream into soft peaks. Fold in the ricotta and the vanilla extract. If you like it sweeter, add a bit of icing sugar, but it really doesn’t need it. Cover, and leave to one side, or in the fridge if you’re prepping way ahead of time.

Toast your hazelnuts in a dry pan. They’ll take a couple of minutes, but worth keeping an eye on them as they can catch really quickly. Put them in a pestle and mortar with the ginger biscuits and get some of that anger over that sausage that fell through the grill out on them.

Now the technical bit. Once you’ve stoned and halved your nectarines, place them on a direct heat on the barbie to get those lovely grill marks that look good in the Instagram photo. After a couple of minutes or well marked, turn them over. Move the coals to one side so they’re not directly under the fruit and close the lid. This indirect grilling will cook the fruit through making them warm and juicy and not burnt! Give them about 5 minutes and then test with a skewer or small knife. If it slides in pretty easily, they’re done.

Arrange on a plate – 2 halves per person should do. Top with a couple of quenelles of the ricotta cream, add a few raspberries and sprinkle liberally with the crumb. Devour. Instagram photo optional.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/de-beauvoir-block2017-06-28T21:37:00+01:002017-06-28T21:37:53+01:00De Beauvoir BlockHarry Davies
This July, we will be setting up shop in a new business hub around the corner from the deli on De Beauvoir Rd. De Beauvoir Block will be home to 30 creative businesses as well as hot desking members whom, along with their guests, will have exclusive access to our new cafe in the large communal space on the ground floor.

Landlords, The Benyon Estate, is organising an open day for curious locals to have a nose around the beautifully renovated Victorian warehouse.

Memberships are available from £150 for those wanting to use the facilities including our new cafe. The space will also make a fantastic events venue during evenings and weekends.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/picnic-season-has-arrived2017-06-01T17:30:00+01:002017-06-01T17:30:52+01:00Picnic season has arrived!Harry Davies
Surprisingly for London, picnic season actually arrived in May this year, and seems to be going from strength to strength! {*touches some wood}

No excuse is needed to head to the park on a sunny day and kick back with a beer and finger food, but there's plenty of great events of the season to indulge in something a little more special. 20th June ushers in 5 days of Royal Ascot, followed just 3 days later by the start of the Henley Regatta, which itself is followed the next day by The Championships at Wimbeldon. Or how about an evening of opera at Glyndebourne or a day our at Lords?

Our picnics have been designed for two to share, but can be scaled up to any sized party

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/its-nearly-mothers-day-here-are-a-few-ideas-from-the-de-beauvoir-deli2017-03-20T08:01:00+00:002017-03-20T08:28:05+00:00It's nearly Mother's Day! Here are a few ideas from the De Beauvoir DeliDanny Fisher

With Mother’s Day less than a week away, what better excuse to spoil that very special person with a very special Mother’s Day breakfast. Here are some ideas straight from the De Beauvoir Deli and a recipe which is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast – Omelette Arnold Bennett.

Monmouth coffee

For many, breakfast isn’t breakfast without coffee – so why not make it a great coffee. We use Monmouth espresso blend for all our coffees in the deli, but we also have an ever-changing selection of single origin coffee that you can grind to your liking. My favourite at the moment is the Finca Santa Catalina from Guatemala. Medium bodied, with citrus and hints of dark chocolate make it perfect for your French Press on a Sunday morning.

DBD marmalade

Toast is good, especially if you use a Dusty Knuckle sourdough, but it’s infinitely better with a scraping of butter and a generous helping of our very own Seville orange marmalade. It’s not scientifically proven, but it is fact.

Charbonnel Et Walker truffles

I know they’re not technically ‘breakfast’ but this is a special occasion, and mum can save them for later when there are fewer people to share them with. Charbonnel Et Walker’s Pink Marc De Champagne truffles boxes are a great gift and are absolutely delicious.

Fizz

Whether it’s our Paul Herard Champagne, San Guiseppe Prosecco or Court Garden English Sparkling Wine, nothing says ‘I love you Mum’ quite like popping a cork before the Archers Omnibus. The Court Garden English Sparkling wine is made in East Sussex and has won lots of international awards, putting it up there as a really special wine and one to celebrate with.

Eggs

The saying goes, ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’ which is true, if completely meaningless otherwise. What it doesn’t tell you, is that you can’t make a great omelette without breaking great eggs – it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as well, but it does matter! They taste better, chances are the hens are treated better and have a better life, and they’re probably better for you. I’m not a doctor, but they probably are. We stock both Fenton Farm free range* and Rhug Estate free range from their organic farm, and they are both delicious.

Speaking of eggs, here’s the recipe for Omelette Arnold Bennett – possibly the best of all omelettes. It’s a little bit of work but great for spoiling someone who means a lot to you.

Named after… Arnold Bennett during his residence at the Savoy hotel in the late 1920s. It’s one of those where everyone has their own way of doing it. Some recipes push the boat out so far that it’s just a tiny dot on the horizon. I love my mum very much, but there’s absolutely no way that I’m making hollandaise, béchamel and whipping double cream before 9am. If you want that version, I suggest you go to the Savoy and have it there, because by the time you’ve made it, it will be nearly lunch time and you’ll be so angry at the 15 pots you’ve got to wash up that you won’t enjoy it. Here’s my version – still rich and luxurious (and you still have to make a little bit of béchamel) but easily doable. It also serves two because there’s no point in being completely selfless.

4 free range eggs

1 extra yolk (you can throw the white in with the other eggs if you haven’t got anything else to do with it)

Start with poaching your fish. Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat gently. Add the bayleaf, peppercorns, and nutmeg. Hack the shallot into bits and add that too. When the milk is at scalding point (nearly at the boil, but not quite) take it off the heat, add the smoked fish to the pan and leave it be. The fish will poach gently and be perfect by the time you need it. The poaching milk will also take on a lovely smoky flavour which you’ll use in your béchamel. Now’s the time to put the coffee on.

It’s time to break some great eggs into a bowl, leaving one egg yolk aside for the béchamel. Give them a thorough beating and leave to one side so that all the little air bubbles can settle.

. Hopefully now your fish is perfectly poached so that it flakes to the touch. Remove the fish from its poaching liquor and put to one side. Pass the poaching liquor through a sieve to remove all the solids. They’ve done their job.

Now take a small saucepan and put it on a medium heat. Melt 25g of butter and add the flour. Cook the roux out for a couple of minutes so that you lose that raw flour taste in the final sauce. Bit by bit, and stirring all the time, add the infused milk into the roux. You’re looking for a fairly thick consistency to your béchamel so you may not need all the milk. Take off the heat and stir in the egg yolk and double cream – as if it’s not rich enough already. Flake your fish and add to the béchamel, folding carefully to keep those lovely flakes.

Preheat your grill to about medium.

It’s omelette time. Put a frying pan on a medium heat, add the remaining butter and once melted add the beaten eggs. Make sure that the eggs completely cover the bottom of the pan and leave for 30 seconds. Now’s the time to season the eggs – careful not to over season as you already have some punchy salt from the fish. Take a spatula and draw the eggs from the side of the pan into the middle so the uncooked eggs in the middle can spill out towards the sides. When nearly cooked, but still very gooey in the middle, take the pan off the heat. Add the béchamel with your smoked fish already in it on top of the eggs. Add the grated parmesan and get that pan under the grill and cook until golden brown and delicious. Throw on the chopped chives for a pleasing oniony hit and colourful garnish. Eat straight from the pan – you’ve got enough washing up to do without plates to worry about.

Mum, you’ll have to ask Dad to make you this one. I’m working on Sunday. Sorry!

*You might have heard about issues with calling eggs ‘free range’ at the moment. There was a bird flu scare and hens have been housed for their own welfare until it is safe to let them our again. – here's an article about it which sheds a bit more light.

So, we’re now a few weeks into the New Year. The over-eating and over-drinking of the festive period is over and you feel like 2017 is the year where you go vegan and take up yoga and never drink again etc. Do all those things if you want to – but there is loads of great stuff to eat which is packed full of that longed-for goodness without going all militant on your taste buds. It’s still blooming cold outside so don’t settle for a stick of celery and a smoothie. It will make you miserable. Here are a couple of comforting dishes that are full of goodness without shirking on that all-important flavour.

Red Wine marinated monkfish with Puy lentils

Serves 4

For the monkfish:

4 loins of monkfish or 2 large loins – about 150/200g a portion

1 bayleaf

3 cloves of garlic smashed

2 springs of rosemary, and 2 of thyme

1 large glass of red wine

For the lentils:

300g Puy lentils

1 large carrot

2 sticks of celery, peeled

2 banana shallots

Small bunch of parsley

2 sprigs of thyme

1 very heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 crushed garlic clove

2 table spoons white wine vinegar (chardonnay if you have it)

6 table spoons cold pressed rape seed oil (or olive if you prefer)

Salt and pepper to taste

Monkfish is a great alternative to meat in this new healthy eating phase of our year. Just make sure you know where your fish is from and that it has been caught in a sustainable manner. Your fish monger will be able to tell you.

Start by putting your monkfish in a shallowish dish. Smash the garlic cloves under something heavy and add to the dish with the bayleaf, rosemary, thyme and wine. Give it a mix around so the fish is coated in the winey mixture, clingfilm and put in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, turning every now and again to make sure everything is marinating nicely.

Now to the veggies. Peel your carrot, shallots and celery (yes peel the celery – its worth it) and cut into what chefs and people who speak French call ‘brunoise’, basically dice as small as you can so that everything is the same size. When you have finished chopping and have a sense of enormous well being, leave the brunoise in a safe place for later.

Rinse the lentils in cold water for a few minutes to get rid of all the lentil dust that gathers around them in the bag. Then, drop the rinsed lentils into boiling salted water and cook the hell out of them for 25 minutes. Have a taste of one little pearl which should be tender with the smallest bite, drain, and leave aside. Then back to your excellently chopped veg. Fry gently in a little rape seed oil so that they soften without too much colour. Turn off the heat, add the lentils and mix everything together.

Now is a good time to make the vinaigrette for the lentils. Crush the garlic with a little salt using the back of a big knife, or one of those garlic presses like Jamie Oliver (I haven’t got one) add to a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and whisk in the rape seed oil. Season to taste. Pour all over the hot lentil mixture and leave them to get acquainted.

Finally, to the fish. Get your favourite frying pan on the heat with a splash of rape seed oil. Take the monkfish out of the marinade, dry it off on a paper towel and when the pan is nice and hot, place carefully in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side so that you’ve got a nice colour all round. Then add a little of the marinade and nap the fish in it to reinforce that colour and flavour. Leave to rest for a minute while you chop the parsley and thyme and add to the lentils. Plate up as the photo and serve with some steamed greens. We went for some green iron-heavy kale but there is lots of choice and it will all work.

Mee Goreng

Most of the ingredients in my recipes you can get from the deli. This one is a bit different but it’s too tasty not to share. For those doing ‘Veganuary’ – swap the egg noodles for rice and you can join in the fun too!

This noodle dish is an Indonesian classic. Mine is a mishmash of Korean, Malaysian, Japanese and Indonesian and I’m not sorry for it at all. It’s street food and can be pretty oily – but it doesn’t need to be and is a great opportunity to pack loads of veggies into a dish and leave out the meat for a change…just for a change mind. The store cupboard list for this one can look a bit daunting, but once you’ve had it once, you’ll want it again and then you’ll already have the stuff, and that will make you happy.

Serves 2 – because you can’t fit 4 people’s worth in a wok.

300g fresh egg noodles

1 pack of firm tofu (I like the Japanese golden tofu – but whichever you like) - cubed

150g of green beans cut in half

150g pak choi or any other Chinese green you can get your hands on - chopped

Crispy onions/shallots (buy from your local oriental supermarket – and try not to eat them all on the way home).

Lime wedges to serve

Once you’ve done the shopping and prep, this is a doddle. Into a hot wok, add a splash of veg or ground nut oil. Add the tofu and green beans to give them a head start and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the shallot, ground coriander and ground cumin and keep stirring. If it’s starting to catch, add a splash of water – but keep it on the heat.

Then add the noodles and coat them in the spices. Add the chilli paste, Katjap Manis and soy. After a minute or so add the pak choi and Chinese lettuce. Again, if its going too dry, just a splash of water will sort that out. When everything is nearly ready, add in the beansprouts and give it another minute. Plate up on something rustic, sprinkle on the crispy onions and serve with lime wedges and a beer – a Bintang if you can get hold of it. Enjoy.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/my-favourite-cheese-for-christmas-and-most-other-times-as-well2016-12-16T16:11:00+00:002016-12-16T16:11:58+00:00My favourite cheese for Christmas, and most other times as wellDanny Fisher

It’s getting close to that time, if you’re not there already, when we all must put in some serious thought to Christmas dinner. Will it be turkey, beef, goose or that lovely nut roast that comes from the freezer for that difficult vegetarian in the family? Whatever you choose, it’s just the preamble to the main event in my very humble (although not humble enough to refrain from write about it) opinion. Cheese. Cheese makes Christmas better, and here are my favourite festive fromages.

Vacherin Mont d'or

Top of my Christmas cheese wish list is always a Vacherin. This soft washed rind cheese is already a firm favourite, but why not give it an extra shout out. Made in the Jura mountains in the Franche-Comte region of Eastern France, this cheese is the perfect example of how things made out of necessity can be blooming marvellous. During the winter months, it was too perilous and difficult to get milk down from the Jura mountains to the co-operatives who make Comte – so instead, the farmers made a more simple soft cheese in their chalets in the forest. They teamed up with the local spruce cutters who cut the strips which wrap the Vacherin while it matures on shelves made of the same spruce – so it’s inevitable that you get that wonderful scent and taste of the spruce infuses the cheese.

Someone once told me that the undulations in a Vacherin are supposed to echo those in the Jura mountains. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but a nice little bit of romanticism to think on while you stuff it into your mouth. Lots of people put it in the oven and cover it with wine and garlic and all sorts, but I implore you to just eat it at room temperature. You’ll still get that oozy texture you crave without muddying the flavours with too much heat and booze. Have the wine on the side: a Vin Jaune if you want to be super authentic or try an Amontillado – Romate is a great one and available at the deli.

Stichelton

Stilton and Christmas go together like Christmas and disappointing telly, tinsel and Gran having more than her usual quota of sherry. Colston Basset is a wonderful cheese, but this year why not try something ever so slightly different. Stichelton came about when Joe Schneider and Randolph Hodgson set out to make a raw milk Stilton. However, the ‘powers that be’ at the Stilton Cheesemakers Association said they weren’t allowed as Stilton must use pasteurised milk. Thus the name Stichelton was born, derived from an old name for the town of Stilton found in the Lincoln Rolls, which is like the Doomsday Book apparently.

So with the raw milk, think Stilton, but extra complex and creamy with the right amount of blue and pockets of chalky paste in the middle. The rind is bright and almost washed in nature and really imparts a load of flavour into the cheese. ‘It’s how Stilton used to taste’ said someone old enough to have tasted pre-pasteurised Stilton – but all I know is that it is really flipping tasty and definitely on my Christmas cheese board. You’d be hard pressed to find a better match than Port and my choice is the Senior Tawny from Niepoort, naturally available at the Deli.

Montgomery Cheddar

Everyone likes cheddar, so it’s always good to have one in the fridge over Christmas. Don’t think that all Cheddar is the same. It is not. This could not be further from anything you get in those zip lock bags in the supermarket purporting to be Cheddar. Montgomery is complex, nutty, salty, creamy and crumbly at the same time and all together delicious. Yes it’s more expensive than the 2 for 1 sweaty pale stuff from a fictional cathedral or valley, but my it’s worth it.

It’s made by Jamie Montgomery down near Yeovil in Somerset from his giant herd of Jersey Cattle. It’s another raw milk cheese which I really think gives an extra punch of flavour and one that I really like. As it’s from Somerset, I’d have to go with a cider and an apple as my perfect accompaniments – but a glass of Manzanilla or a Calvados would also go down very well indeed.

Tomme Crayeuse

The last on the list is a bit of a maverick choice but certainly one of my favourites. Anyone who has been to the French Alps under any circumstances will have memories of some kind of Tomme – and to be honest, a lot of memories will be of a fairly forgettable cheese that you ate lots of. This is NOT that cheese. A relative newcomer, Tomme Crayeuse has only been around since 1997 but has already achieved mission impossible by demanding that it must be on my Christmas cheese board. While it might be risky business serving a cheese that people might not have heard of, it will only take a few good men and women such as yourselves to get the word out there. You will not be disappointed. The firm, chalky paste gives way to a creamy smooth texture under the rind and the taste and mouth feel are the stuff of legend(s). This is far and away the best example of a Tomme and the one you want. You won’t have to keep your eyes wide shut at the till when you show the colour of money as Tomme Crayeuse comes in very reasonably. A pairing – tempting to say a cocktail, but in actuality, the end of your glass of red wine is the perfect pairing for this beautiful cheese – something like a Pinot Noir if you’re asking. So despite the litany of terrible puns, you will definitely thank me for introducing you to Tomme Crayeuse as you are sure to fall into an endless love with this one.

(Tomme Crayeuse sounds like Tom Cruise - if you've got to the bottom and this is a revelation to you, sorry for the previous paragraph.)

Have an amazing festive period and eat well and often. Everything mentioned in the blog is available in the deli for your Christmas cheese board. We’ve also got our ready to rumble quick take away cheeseboard available for £25 including Montgomery, Colston Bassett, Brie De Meaux and Ragstone. 2.1kg Baby Colston Bassetts also available for £55 More details available at www.thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk

Dx

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/get-your-christmas-going-with-mince-pies-and-mulled-wine2016-11-29T12:04:00+00:002016-11-29T12:04:32+00:00Get your Christmas going with mince pies and mulled wine!Danny FisherIt’s nearly December, Thanksgiving and even ‘Black Friday’ are behind us and it’s been a good couple of weeks since Regent’s Street put their lights up. Whether you like it or not, the run up to Christmas is well and truly here – so why not make it tasty with your own mince pies (well, our mince pies, but you can make them at home) and here’s how:

Makes 16 big mince pies or a few more smaller ones

For the mincemeat you will need:

75g mixed peel

300g grated apple

180g raisins

150g sultanas

150g currants

40g flaked almonds

150g suet

150g soft dark brown sugar

2 tsp mixed spice

Zest and juice of 1 large orange

75ml brandy

For the pastry:

375g plain flour

260g unsalted butter - softened

125g caster sugar

1 large egg

This couldn’t be simpler. Put all of the ingredients for the mincemeat into a big bowl and give it a good mix around. Put it into a Tupperware box (other storage boxes are available – probably) and leave it for as long as you can – at least a week, but the longer the better.

For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a bowl and mix with your fingers until they resemble bread crumbs. Add the sugar and egg and mix until combined. If it’s looking a bit dry, add a touch of water or orange juice if you want an orangey tinge to your pastry – not too much mind. Empty onto a floured surface and finish off the mixing until you have a smooth pastry. Wrap in clingfilm (other wraps are available – probably) and put in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes.

Alternatively, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz. You have less control this way, but it is quicker and easier. Still wrap it and chill in the fridge.

To assemble, roll the pastry out to about 2 or 3 mm, cut to size and place in your tins. Put a generous amount of filling straight onto the pastry. Cut the lids however you would like. I like it so that the lid doesn’t completely cover the filling allowing it to bubble over in a rather attractive way, but that’s just me. Brush the top with a little egg and sprinkle some more caster sugar.

Place in a preheated oven at 200 fan or 220 conventional for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool before releasing from the tin and tucking in or they might stick a little and you will burn your mouth. You have been warned. Serve and enjoy.

Glögg

There are mulled wines from all over the world, but try Glögg – Norway’s offering into the mix. There are as many different recipes for Glögg as there are households in Norway – and this is one of them. Remember it’s really cold in Norway, so this extra boozy offering really does warm you up from the inside. Give it a try:

Put everything into a big saucepan and bring to the boil. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes or as long as you want. If it’s still a bit strong for you, carry on simmering or add some more water until it’s just how you like it. If you like a big old boozy kick, save 20ml of the vodka/brandy and add it after you have turned off the heat. Please enjoy (responsibly).

I've not done a seasonal blog this week but I just thought I’d share with how to make your Sunday dinner even better. Whether you’re cooking for just yourself or you have a table big enough for 10 that you have a burning desire to fill, this recipe is adaptable – you’ll just have to do some maths.

We all know the story. Over the years you’ve honed your roasties (I use rape seed oil…perhaps more on that anon) and that rib of beef always comes out a blushing pink rare to medium rare. There’s just one crippling fear and that leaves you reaching for the Aunt Bessies. Stop. You don’t need to, regardless of how inventive those nans are on the advert. Lose the fear and never have a rubbish Yorkshire pudding again. Ever. Here’s how.

Ingredients – enough for 4 greedy people, 6 more restrained ones.

4 medium free range eggs

225g plain flour

300ml whole milk

Big pinch of sea salt and white pepper

Rape seed oil

First, ditch the muffin tins. One big, beautiful Yorkie is so much more satisfying and so much easier. You’ll still get all the crunchy bits with the soft pancakey middle and you and your munching companions can all get the best bits. So, grab a big tin – and if you’re like me (bearded/checked shirt/East London/draw your own conclusions) an enamel tin. They heat up quickly and are generally non-stick.

Now we’ve got that one sorted, break your eggs into a bowl and just break them up. Don’t whisk them vigorously, just until they resemble slime or snot. Not the most appetising thought I know, but stick with me. The snotty looking eggs will make your Yorkie rise majestically and give it structure and support when it has done. That was the science bit.

Onwards. Sift in the flour, salt and white pepper. Now get your whisk in and beat until you get a good smooth paste. You can do this in a machine if you want, but it gives you less control and less of a feeling of achievement. Add the milk a little at a time combining the mixture until you get a smooth batter.

Cover with cling film, leave to rest for a couple of hours at room temperature if you’ve got time – or half an hour in the fridge will do. Have a cuppa and make sure the oven is preheated to 200 fan, or a bit hotter conventional. Leave plenty of room for the pudding to rise, otherwise you’ll be picking Yorkshire pudding your of your oven shelves for days.

When you’re ready to get cooking, put a very generous glug of rape seed oil (or veg oil if not) into your tin, enamel or otherwise. People say that beef dripping is the only way, but I respectfully disagree. Let that heat for about 10 minutes and get your mix ready. Give it one last quick whisk and wait. That oil needs to be hot. When it is, pour the mixture into the tray, get it in the oven and do something else. If you watch the first 5 minutes, you’ll only be disappointed. It looks like nothing is happening. Come back after half an hour. If it’s starting to look a bit crispy on top before it’s cooked underneath, just turn the oven down.

People say never to open the oven door – and that is the best thing to do… but if after the initial rise has happened, and you need to jiggle your roasties a bit, do it. It normally takes about 40 minutes, but it’s your dinner not mine, so do it to your liking.

Please do try this. It will change your Sunday dinner forever. Or Monday or Tuesday dinner. It’s a blinder for toad in the hole as well. Cook it as above until it has well risen, then throw in some browned sausages and cook for another 20 minutes. I’ve tried it with the sausages from the beginning – it’s not as good!

Until next time, happy eating.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/in-season-now-squash-and-game2016-10-05T16:23:00+01:002016-10-05T16:30:16+01:00In Season Now - Squash and GameDanny Fisher

As autumn rears its russet head and the leaves begin to fall, it means that two of my favourite things are in season and waiting to be eaten. On the squash front there is everything from old reliables like Butternut and pumpkins to Acorn, Spaghetti, Onion, Kabocha – all grown right here in good ol’ Blighty.

For those of you who like your meat running, jumping and swimming wild, British game has so much to offer. If venison is as far as you’ve ventured before, why not have a go at partridge, grouse, wild boar or mallard? Here at the De Beauvoir Belly we have two great recipes for you, one from me and one from our very own Chef Jamil.

Let’s start with a combination of the two. These seasonal ingredients work so well together and can be quite a showoff dish if you’ve got someone who likes their duck a bit wilder. I’ve done for 4 as the squashes can be on the big side for 2 – but they make great left overs.

Grab your trusty pestle and mortar – don’t mess around with a spice grinder, it’s not the same – and add 10 juniper berries, a teaspoon of sea salt and a couple of white pepper corns. Pound away the stresses of the day until you have a fine, aromatic seasoning salt. Have a little taste. You should get that juniper hit and white pepper warmth – if not, add accordingly.

Prep the squashes by cutting them in half and scraping out the seeds. DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY. Place in a preheated oven tray with a decent lip, drizzle with a little oil and a conservative sprinkling of the seasoning salt. Throw in half a pint of water to add steam and cook for 40 mins at about 180 – or until spoonably soft.

On to the mallard. These birds are a bit different from the normal waddlers you might get, as they spend more time in the water. They’re also much less fatty than their farm dwelling cousins which is great for your belly, but means that they can dry out if you’re not careful. So be careful. Prick the skins all over to let that fat render during cooking and liberally season with the juniper salt, inside and outside the cavity. If you’ve bought a big packet of juniper berries and don’t know what you’re going to do with them, crush a couple and put them in the cavity of the Mallard. Place the birds in an oven tray, on a rack if you have one, but no bother if not. Now, arrange those squash seeds that you definitely didn’t throw away in dripping distance of ducks. Roast everything for about half an hour, depending on the size of your birds at 180.

Back to the squash. Remove from the skins and put in a mixer or bowl. I used a kitchen aid because I’m lazy. Add some softened butter, as much or as little as you like, and beat until a smooth puree. If you’ve got the time or inclination, pass everything through a sieve to get a silky smooth puree. Season to taste. If you’ve got any of the juniper salt left, use that to keep the flavours going throughout the dish. If the puree is looking a bit watery, put it in a pan on the hob at a low temperature to cook off the excess liquid. If you’ve got this far, you know what a puree should look like.

Get the Mallard out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. It really does make all the difference.

The sauce is a really simple jus. Heat the Madeira until it is reduced by half. Add the duck stock and reduce again by half. Stir in a knob of butter for shine and that’s it. You want a fairly thin sauce, so don’t worry about reducing it all too much.

The greens are super quick as well. They are packed full of flavour so just steam them and season to taste. Start by spooning a generous portion of puree onto the bottom of the plate, top with the mustard greens and then the carved Mallard. Pour the jus round the plate and finish with those crunchy squash seeds. The photo is of mine. I would have got that smudge of sauce off, but it was a toss-up between getting the perfect photo and eating it… only one winner.

First up, roast the squash. Peel and cut into chunks, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about twenty five minutes at 180, or until soft. Also, you’ll need to precook your lentils. 30 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water will do the trick. They’re done when soft with just a little bite in the middle. Drain and rinse under cold water to get rid of the inevitable scum that will have come out in the cooking process.

While that’s all happening, preheat a nice big saucepan – give yourself a bit of extra room for stirring and blending later. Add the olive oil and sweat the shallots, garlic and chilli until soft but not too coloured. Add the veg stock (make your own if you have time, but plenty of good varieties available on the market) and bring to the boil.

Throw in your newly roasted squash and cook for a further five minutes. Next up is the coriander, roughly chop, add and cook for a minute or so. Blend the soup however your preferred method might be. I always go for the stick blender for fear of the lid falling off and showering everything in boiling butternut. Add the cream and check your seasoning. Add the lentils and cook enough to reheat. Serve with a big chunk of bread - a little extra drizzle of cream or perhaps some pumpkin oil to finish. Delicious.

The end of summer into the beginning of Autumn is absolutely the best time to get your hands on some wild mushrooms, and, in our humble opinion, the best place to get them is Scotland (we’ve brought them to the deli for your convenience!). Whether it’s Chanterelles, Trompette de la Mort or Morels, have a go and try something different! I like a Chestnut or a Portabello as much as anyone, but these mushrooms are worth it while they’re around.

Here’s a couple of recipes for Scottish Chanterelles (pictured) , which we have in the deli right now.

This isn’t a challenging one, but is mighty delicious and satisfying, especially if the weather closes in.

Serves 4 – or 2 greedy people

300g chanterelles

1 Dusty Knuckle sourdough

8 rashers of Blackhand bacon

4 free range eggs

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 clove of garlic

Handful of chopped parsley

As much butter as you dare

De-rind the bacon – you can use any bacon you like, but Blackhand is the best – leaving the fat on and chop into something resembling strips, or lardons if you like. Dry fry in a heavy bottomed saucepan on a medium heat until the lovely bacon fat starts to melt into the pan and the bacon is slightly crisped around the edges. Remove from the pan but leave all that fatty goodness in there to fry the mushrooms. Put the garlic clove in its skin on the worktop and lean on it with the heel of your hand. Add this to the pan with your desired quantity of butter, turn the heat up and add the mushrooms. Fry for about 3 minutes on a high heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley. I like the curly stuff, but either will do. Add the bacon back in for the last 30 seconds.

In the meantime, make some toast and poach some eggs. Best method is a big pan of simmering water, a teaspoon of vinegar, swirl the water into a whirlpool and add the eggs one at a time… or get someone else to do it. Butter the toast (essential) and arrange in as cheffy a fashion as you like, with the poached egg sitting jauntily atop the mushrooms. A final grind of pepper and devour.

Turbot with chanterelles, baby turnip, spinach and an English Sparkling wine butter sauce

No denying that this one is for pushing the boat out, both in terms of ingredients and effort. However, if you’ve got someone to impress, this is a real winner.

Serves 4

4 turbot fillets, skin on (about 200g per person will be plenty)

200g chanterelles (substitute for morels if you like for an earthier flavour)

300g Chegworth Valley organic spinach

12 baby turnips

1 clove of garlic

A big knob of butter

Splash of oil

For the Sauce

1 large shallot, finely diced (banana best, but not a deal breaker)

1 tbsp Chardonnay vinegar

150ml English Sparkling Wine

1 bayleaf

6 peppercorns

150ml fish stock

120g butter, cold and cubed

Start with the sauce as it will hold nicely while you cook everything else. Put the finely chopped shallot, peppercorns, bayleaf and vinegar into a saucepan and reduce on a medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the wine and reduce by almost as much and then add the stock. If you’re lucky enough to be buying a whole turbot, make the stock with the bones and a few root veg, bayleaves and peppercorns. If you’re one of us mere mortals, but a good fish stock from your fishmonger. Reduce the stock until there is almost no liquid left. Take the pan off the heat and start adding the butter, a few cubes at a time and whisk into the mixture. Once all the butter is whisked in, your sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Pass through a sieve and leave to one side (NOT IN THE FRIDGE) until just before serving. Don’t worry if the sauce looks like it might have split – you can normally bring it back by whisking in a touch of cream.

Give your baby turnips a peel and a trim and put them into boiling salted water for about 5 minutes or until they give little resistance to a sharp knife. Drain and refresh in iced water and save for later. Add some butter and a touch of oil to your favourite frying pan and get the heat up high. Season both sides of your turbot fillets and sear skin side down for a couple of minutes, or until the skin is crisped and the filet is opaque about 2/3 of the way up. Turn the fish over, cook for a further minute and then remove from the pan to rest while you cook your mushrooms.

Return the pan to the heat, add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook on high for no more than 2 minutes. Add the turnips and cook for another 30 seconds to reheat them. Blanch some spinach if you have any more room on the hob and give the sauce a gentle reheat.

Pile the seasoned spinach in the middle of your plate topped with the turbot. Arrange the mushrooms and turnips around the fish and finish with the sauce. The rest of the bottle of English Sparkling wine would be a great accompaniment, if you haven’t drunk it all during the cooking process. Eat, smugly.

The peaches we’re seeing at the moment are some of the best we’ve ever tried. Unlike most of the stone fruits available our peaches have been grown in Italy with long, hot days and fertile soil. They’re shipped here in straw and, by the time they’ve been delivered to us, they have become heavy with sticky, sweet juice; velvety and blushed with deep purple.

Peaches, a relation of almonds, love being paired with alcohol. Whether it’s Italian style, berry rich red wine with hints of spice and black pepper or a straight up, no nonsense southern USA caramel hit of bourbon and fruit, they both need to be served cold on a hot summer’s day.

Pesche al Vino Rosso QB (Peaches in Red Wine)

QB, often seen in Italian cookbooks, stands for ‘quanta basta’ meaning ‘as much is enough’ or ‘to taste’. This is very much the spirit of this recipe.

Take one ripe peach per person and cut into wedges. Mix with 1 tbsp of granulated sugar per peach and mix very gently with a squeeze of lemon juice. Rest for 5-10 minutes.

Divide the peach slices into small glasses and pour in just enough red wine to cover. Leave to macerate in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve with cream if you must.

Peach and Bourbon Sorbet (without an ice cream maker)

If you don’t like bourbon, or just don’t fancy it in your sorbet, you can leave it out of the recipe below but make sure to let it soften a little before serving as the alcohol helps obtain a slightly softer scoop.

5 large yellow peaches

100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

100ml water

100ml honey

pinch of salt

A heavy slug of good bourbon

Peel the peaches and puree them in a food processor.

Stir in all the ingredients except the whiskey and pour into a shallow pan or tray (the kind you would cook brownies in works well).

Put the mix in the freezer and leave for roughly an hour. After this time the edges of the mix will start to freeze. Roughly stir them back into the mix.

Repeat this process every 45 minutes to an hour until the mixture is evenly slushy, about 4 or 5 hours.

Finally add a heavy handed swig of bourbon (or rye, if you're that way inclined) and pour the mix into a more suitable, lidded container - probably one that fits better into your inevitably crowded freezer.

To serve, either leave to stand and scoop into balls or, for the impatient, firmly scrape with a spoon for a slightly granita-esque, crystalline texture (like in the picture...)

Tiny, kidney shaped tubers covered in a fine, dry dust. Their delicate skins peel off at the slightest brush and a deep earthy scent rises from within them. Jersey Royals are almost the first potatoes to appear and are certainly the finest. Their thin skins and waxy flesh are nurtured by tidal soils and fertilised with foraged seaweed.

Traditionally they are boiled, needing only 10-12 minutes, but in recent years they have become very popular roasted after par-cooking. Tossed with vegetable oil, woody herbs and a few cloves of garlic they are, perhaps, the only accompaniment to new season asparagus and tender spring lamb.

Once cooked they need little adornment. Of course, as with any potato, plenty of good quality sea salt is a must but otherwise they just ask for a little lubrication. Butter is the obvious choice but rapeseed oil or even yoghurt are perfect too. If one really desires to guild the lily a sprinkle of herbs will not go amiss. Think of the French 'fines herbes'; parsley, chives, tarragon, chervil or mint. Any or all of these can only improve a bowl of delicate potatoes, no bigger than your thumb, that would suffice as a main with a simple, dressed salad on the side.

Although, as we said, you can simply boil or even roast them, there is another way. Most people think of 'en papillotte' as an almost outdated technique for cooking fish but it is a sublime way of cooking any fresh, new potato.

Simply cut a large, heart shaped piece of greaseproof paper and fold it in half to get a shape reminiscent of a wonky cornish pasty. Tuck the potatoes, skin and all, into the middle of the packet. They should be close but not overcrowded, if you need more space make another parcel. Dot them with a little butter and tuck in some woody herbs. Now, starting at the blunt end of the packet, turn the paper over itself all the way around the open edge, a little like crimping pastry together (see the picture above for a better idea). At the far end turn the fold over itself several times to stop the package unfurling.

Place gently on a tray in a preheated oven at 200C for about 35-40 minutes. The package will yield soft, slightly caramelised spuds that give when squeezed gently. Try not to eat them all at once, they are delicious cold.

Romana courgettes are an Italian favourite and we'll have small, first of the year examples for the next few weeks. These courgettes, unlike later, British examples have firm flesh and a subtle nutty flavour as opposed to the classic, subtle bitterness of the traditional zucchini.

The problem often lies in what to do with such an abundant, but often fairly flavourless, vegetable. Pesto is a firm favourite, especially with the 'courgetti' crowd, but any of the basic ingredients of that delectable green paste work fantastically well too.

Cheese is an obvious place to start. Lots of fresh cheeses are just coming into season and whether you go for a quiet but zesty ricotta or a sightly more complex aged goat's cheese like Stawley or spankingly fresh Tymsboro, their fantastic white, crumbly paste is perfectly at home tossed with raw slices of courgette marinated in lemon juice and olive oil as a side to a late Spring lunch.

Soft herbs such as basil or tarragon are also wonderful either with or without the cheese, perhaps with pine nuts or seeds combined too but when the courgette really comes into it's own is through grilling.

This is best done outside on a coal BBQ but is easily achievable with a ridged griddle pan in the kitchen. It's a classic of the Itailan antipasti platter; simply slice the courgettes longways as thinly as you can - a mandoline is best for this - toss or brush them with enough olive oil to entirely coat them and place them in batches onto the hot grill bars. Once char marks have appeared turn them over until cooked through. Serve at room temperature sprinkled with lemon juice.

It's difficult to explain the depth of flavour that this method imparts to such a humble vegetable. The blackened lines taste of smoke, the flesh smacks of rich, fruity olive oil and the nutty bitterness that was there all along takes on a fresh new tune.

As the days get longer and the skies clearer small flowers begin to rear their heads. On damp riverbanks and across dappled forest floors carpets of elegant green leaves crown themselves with bursts of pure white, star shaped flowers.

These leaves are the first sign of spring in the kitchen. Wild garlic, sometimes called bear's garlic, is a foragers treat but for those of us who don't always fancy donning their wellingtons and traipsing around the woods it's always available in our vegetable fridge for the next couple of months.

As the name suggests it's a close relative of regular garlic but is perhaps more fragrant and, once cooked, becomes quite delicate. The chopped leaves become irresistible scattered over anything pan fried with a squeeze of lemon or can be mixed together with butter to slice thickly and leave melting into a hot steak.

The season is short, only until early June, but can be stretched out by infusing olive oil or mixing up a rustic pesto with garlic leaves, hazelnuts and Parmesan. While they're fresh they're best with lamb or chicken, other seasonal delights like Jersey Royals or early asparagus and wonderful in an omelette or risotto.

‘Cooked Water’ or Acquacotta is an Italian soup with no real definitive recipe. The ingredients are chopped and changed depending on the season or the area of Italy it is made in. The only requirements for a true aquacotta are stale bread, an egg and chopped tomatoes. The rest of the ingredients are up to you.

The recipe below is roughly Tuscan. The hilly countryside, laden in the winter with naked grape vines and evergreen olive trees, where nearly every field has a small patch of vegetables; wild chicories, cavelo nero and frost hardy, overgrown dandelions. Our British greens, proud and waxy, would be just as fine in the recipe below.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the celery, sliced into fine arches. Cook these gently for a few minutes until translucent and add the two garlic cloves, crushed under the side of a heavy knife, skinned but left whole. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and mix together in the pan, reducing everything a little until combined.

Roughly shred the greens and add to the pan along with the herbs and enough water to just cover. Bring to a scant boil and turn the heat right down. Simmer the vegetables until tender and season the broth well.

Start to toast your bread, preferably from a loaf a day or two old, and crack your eggs carefully into the simmering soup. Poach for 3-4 minutes. Once the toast is done put a slice in each bowl, drizzle with rich, fruity olive oil and ladle over the broth. There should be just enough liquid to soak into the bread, leaving the bowl more or less dry. Pile on the greens and finish with the egg. Lemon juice & Parmesan.

Serves 2

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/93242310-thistles2016-02-17T16:18:00+00:002016-02-17T16:27:10+00:00Thistles.Alex Lane
With the chill of February comes tighter, finer artichokes ranging from the size of a baby's fist to gargantuan bowl fillers perfect for plucking, leaf by leaf, and dunking into mayonnaise or melted butter before delving spoon first into the unopened flower, the inedible 'choke', and the soft, giving heart beneath.

They are often seen as difficult to prepare but are far from it. A little fiddly, perhaps, and you would do well to have a large bowl ready for the discarded leaves but they just ask a little more time and a dab of lemon juice every now and then to stop them browning. You'll have the hang of it by the second one and the end product is well worth the effort.

Carciofi alla Romana (Stuffed, braised artichokes)

Start by filling a large bowl with water and squeezing in the juice of half a lemon.

Now take your first artichoke, you’ll need large ones for this, and pull off it’s tough outer leaves until you’re down to the sweet, pale green and mauve leaves inside. If you're not sure you've taken enough off remove some more, anything you leave may turn out to be tough.

Using a bread knife saw off almost all of the leaves, leaving just an inch or so, and discard. Take a teaspoon and plunge it into the middle of the flower. Scraping around with the edge of the spoon, remove the fine hairs from the centre of the heart and get rid of those too. Finally, using a small, sharp knife and a vegetable peeler remove the tough skin from the base of the heart (where you remove the first leaves from) until it is a fresh, pale cream and the stringy skin from the stalk. Work quickly, dabbing with lemon juice while you hack away, and then quickly put the prepared hearts into the bowl of water to stop them discolouring. If they bob around too much put a small plate on top of them to keep them submerged.

Once you've finished trimming your hearts finely chop a whole bunch of parsley, a few cloves of garlic and as much lemon zest as you like. Season. One by one, take the hearts from the water and spoon some of the mix into the hole where the choke once was, sharing it out until it's all used up. If you find you have a little too much pull back some of the leaves and poke the stuffing in.

In a small saucepan, that the artichokes will fit in close enough so that they don't fall over, pour half a glass of white wine, the same amount of water, one shallot, halved, a few, whole black peppercorns, a bay leaf, a good amount of quality olive oil and a strip of lemon peel. Add the artichokes, stem end down and place on a high heat. As soon as the wine begins to boil turn the heat right down (use a heat diffuser mat if you have one) and clap a lid on the pan.

Cook for roughly 40 minutes, depending on the size of your thistles, until they are as soft as butter. Remove them from the pan and reduce down any juices that may be left to form a thin jus.

A kind of salad. Crisp, white fennel and gems of fresh, juicy citrus. Always use undyed smoked haddock and you'll avoid that garish yellow stuff that tries to mimic the traditional slow smoking process without taking even half as much time. We stock Pinney's of Orford, a traditional smoke house based in Suffolk using nothing but fresh fish and oak logs to create a simple kind of magic.

Half a side of smoked haddock

A large, tight fennel bulb, very thinly sliced

2 Navel oranges

Lemon Juice

Slice off both ends of each orange. Working your way around the fruit cut away the peel and all the bitter white pith. Cut the orange in half and slice thinly over a bowl, reserving all the juice.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the reserved orange juice, season and taste. Add enough lemon juice to make a slightly sharp dressing.

Using a very sharp knife slice the haddock into the thinnest strips you can and toss with the dressing. Leave this marinade to one side for at least half an hour so that it begins to soften the fish a little.

Once the fish has had enough time to relax toss the dressing mixture with the sliced fennel and the orange slices.

South of the city of Peterborough lies the quiet village of Stilton. Since the middle ages it has been an important posting station and coaching stop, a place of respite for weary travellers making the journey between London and York. Over roughly 1000 years this has bought trade to the town as pedlars of various wares passed on through, stopping for the night in the multitude of inns lining the road. One of these, The Bell Inn, still in existence, dates back to the year 1500 and was not too dissimilar to what we now think of as a 'gastropub'.

Over the years in cities and towns across the country inns, taverns, pubs all began to lose their kitchens until the rediscovery of pub food in the early 90s. Pies, bangers and mash and deep fried Camembert were commonplace all of a sudden but go back a few hundred years and most drinking establishments would have had simple, hearty and local food prepared for passing guests who expected to be fed. London had 'pitchcocked' eels, winkles and cockles served with a hunk of bread and in coaching inns around the rest of Britain one could tuck into delicacies like meat pies, boiled udders, mutton with oysters, pot roasted larks, or 'scotch callops' all served with a brand new style of fashionable, dark, craft ale; porter.

The Bell Inn was an establishment just like any other with a small kitchen catering for guests throughout the day and sourcing only the best, local ingredients. Quenby cheese, made some 30 miles away at the eponymous Hall, was produced throughout the summer by the housekeeper, was a firm regional favourite, served with bread and a pint of beer. It quickly took up the name of the village. Stilton. By 1722, when novelist Daniel Defoe was passing through town, the cheese was already famous.

As the years went on demand for Stilton grew and its production was outsourced to the lush pastures of the Melton Mowbray area and the green fields of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Finally, in 1996 these three counties were granted a Protected Geographical Status. This award scheme, part of an EU culinary preservation effort, stipulates the exact rules of what can legally be called 'Stilton'. For a start it cannot be made in Stilton. They also maintain that the cheese must be unpressed, contain 'blue veins radiating from the centre' and, after the listeria scare of the 1980s, it must be made from pasteurised milk.

It is the pasteurisation of the milk that poses a slight problem. Although it's perfectly possible for true Stilton to be creamy, soft and deeply savoury the historic flavour of the cheese has been lost. Raw milk has it's own wild ideas and tantalisingly complex flavour profiles. The natural bacteria present in the milk aid the maturing process of cheese and are able to elevate something good to something sublime. All the cheesemakers we are supplied by who use raw milk understand the risks but in doing so merely do what all food producers should do - keep their products and their equipment clean and hygienic.

Back on a quiet stretch of the A1, the earliest mention of the little village is in the 1086 Domesday book where it is listed as 'Stichiltone' meaning a 'village at a stile or steep ascent'. It is this early reference to the sleepy hamlet that gives it's name to it's similarly blue veined counterpart 'Stichleton'. Produced by Randolph Hodgson of Neals Yard Dairy and Joe Schneider in Nottinghamshire it is, apart from the name, in every way a traditional Stilton. It is made using calves rennet and raw milk and, these aside, all other Stilton PDO rules are fulfilled. It is something truly special.

Whether pasteurised Colston Bassett or the rebellious Stichleton, December is the best time for eating this sort of cheese. It's obvious association with Christmas is a dead give away but the cheeses, made in high summer from the best quality British milk, have now had just enough time to keep the paste smooth and buttery in texture and creamy in the mouth but with enough blue veins to give that characteristic fruity tang.

Port is the traditional accompaniment but it can often overpower the cheese. A glass of ale, a hunk of cheese and a juicy ripe pear is all you need. Or maybe a mince pie and a glass of madeira to keep things festive.

During the Christmas period we will have both baby Stiltons and Stichleton available to pre order and to sample in store so just pop and speak to a member of staff about trying some for yourself. We also have pre-cut cheeseboard selections (pictured above) available to serve a small gathering of friends and family that we've put together from our favourite dairy based delights.

Chicory often divides opinion but it's really just matter of how it's served, not many people like to eat something that's plainly bitter (although there are a few of us) but often those who say they don't like bitter foods are the same people that just don't notice the bitterness in the things they already eat. Chocolate, coffee, washed rind cheese, rocket and kale all have more or less bitterness in them yet they almost always have other flavours to calm their otherwise difficult flavour. It can come in many guises, sugar for a bitter-sweet assault, acidity to balance out a dish or something creamy to smother and blend. The recipe below relies on all of these elements and utilises ingredients that are just coming into their peak season. Pears and chicory will both be in great condition until early next year, blue cheeses have had a good few months to mature from the finest high summer milk and there is almost nothing more festive than a heavy handed sprinkling of chestnuts.

Serves one or two as a starter

A good chunk of soft blue cheese (Stilton, Roquefort or Gorgonzola are all good choices)

Natural yoghurt

1 Lemon

2 or 3 Medium red endive

3 Small pears

Butter or, even better, bacon fat

A few pre-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

Honey

Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the cores with a teaspoon. Rub them with a little lemon juice and begin to warm the butter, or bacon fat if using, in a pan. Once the fat has melted, and taking care to keep the heat low so as not to burn the butter, place the pears cut side down in the pan. Don't move them around too much and they should slowly begin to caramelise.

Meanwhile make the blue cheese dressing. Crumble the cheese into a bowl and mash it with a fork until quite fine. Pour over enough yoghurt to make a thin sauce and add salt and lemon juice to taste. If you want a smooth sauce you can put the mix into a blender for a few seconds but who wants to do that much washing up?

Once the pears are beginning to look golden underneath flip them over and put the chicory, halved, into the pan with them. Cook everything together just long enough so that the endive begins to char slightly and wilt. Add the contents of the pan to the dressing and mix everything together until the warm ingredients are well coated in the silky cheese sauce.

Spoon the salad onto plates and scatter over the chestnuts. Finish with an artistic drizzle of finest summer honey.

As Christmas draws closer it's time to fill the house with festive aromas. Pine, citrus, woody spices and the sort of gift that comes quietly from the oven and needs nothing in the way of last minute shopping or shoddy wrapping. We will have venison meat available to buy in the shop and to pre-order for the next few months from Rhug Estate.

700g venison, diced & tossed in seasoned flour

4 small onions, cut into large slices

1 large clove of garlic

1 carrot, chopped very fine

1 stick celery, chopped very fine

70g Pancetta, cut into lardons

1 bottle of red wine, only half is needed but the cook might need a pick-me-up

500ml Beef stock

Nutmeg

5 Cloves

1 Clementine

1 Bay leaf, fresh

1 Sprig rosemary, fresh

1 Thyme, fresh or a scattering of dried oregano

1 tbsp Tomato puree

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Taking your time, brown the venison in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan and agitate the meat very occasionally until a rich, brown crust develops. Put your meat to one side and turn the heat in the pan right down.

Render the fat out of the pancetta and toss in the onions, adding a little butter if you need to, again, stirring only every now and then, cooking them quietly until golden. Add the sliced garlic and then the carrot, allowing it to just soften in the pan. Finally stir in the celery and let everything mingle together for a minute or two. You now have a beautifully structured, savoury base. A sofrito.

Crush the cloves in a pestle and mortar and add a good pinch to the pan. Put the meat back into the pan with the sofrito and grate over a fine dust of nutmeg and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Stir the pan and the kitchen will fill with the smell of wood spice. Grate almost all the zest off the clementine and add along with the fresh herbs and a large tot of gin. Boil the mix hard until the gin has almost disappeared and pour in half a bottle of drinkable red wine. Something Italian would be perfect. The wine needs to be quickly reduced by half and then you’re ready to add the beef stock. Pour in just enough to submerge the mix and place in the middle of the warm oven for as long as possible, at least 3 hours, adding a little more liquid if it begins to look dry.

Serve with a little more grated zest and some polenta, soft and full of butter.

]]>
https://thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk/blogs/the-de-beauvoir-belly/76734659-escabeche-and-a-better-way-to-bbq2015-06-30T21:41:00+01:002015-11-11T15:24:57+00:00Escabeche and a better way to BBQAlex Lane

In this country, it’s summer as soon as the temperature reaches 15 degrees. Clouds, wind, rain and general poor weather are not enough to keep many of our fine countrymen from donning shorts and flip flops and throwing a packet of cheap sausages on to a disposable barbecue that’s still too hot. What could be more British than a charred sausage, still raw in the middle and lashings of rain? Or the sudden call of alarm from the self-assigned ‘pit master’ when he realises that, actually, those drumsticks he dished out definitely aren’t cooked through.

This is not how it has to be. The best BBQs are not just a random collection of strange flavoured sausages, pre-made burgers and a dodgy veggie kebab but simply constructed, wholesome meals. Fine ingredients can often speak for themselves over hot coals and the most simple of marinades plus a couple of sides prepared in the kitchen can transform this essentially primal way of cooking into food that doesn’t have to repeatedly disappoint year on year.

There are a few things to keep in mind to get the most from your afternoon at the grill. First, use good quality coals. The coal is going to flavour the food so fork out a little more and get the really good stuff. Second, cook the food slowly. To much heat will just cook the outside and leave the middle raw which is great with steak but not so great with chicken. A good rule of thumb is that the grill is hot enough when you can hold your hand over it for about three seconds before starts to burn. Next, make sure you oil the hot grill before you put the meat on it. Just wipe it down with a cloth and it should protect your meat from sticking. Finally, remember that if the food is still sticking it’s not ready to be flipped. Just leave it alone until it wants to come up from the grill.

Once you start to understand the principles of a good BBQ you’ll begin to see that less is more. A menu doesn’t have to be any more complicated than some pork marinated with woody herbs, lemon slices, garlic and oil, coal roasted fennel, green salad and crusty bread. Or spicy chicken wings, grilled sweetcorn and coleslaw. Or slightly blackened minced lamb kebabs spiked with mint and cumin, a fresh yoghurt and cucumber dip and red peppers darkened on the bars, torn into strips and marinated in a little oil, lemon juice and dill all with warm, soft pitta to mop everything up. Just let the marinade do it’s job or let any spiced meat to rest for as long as possible and cook, nice and slow on white hot coals.

The recipe below is very simple, cheap to prepare and doesn’t rely on your guests arriving on time (because there’s always one!). It doubles or triples very well and should be served just warm.

Prepare a marinade of 60ml good olive oil and an equal amount of wine vinegar, one sliced red onion (or florence onion if you can get them), a few torn bay leaves, fresh oregano, very thin slices of whole lemon and half a shredded green chilli. Add salt and pepper and allow the flavours to mingle for a little while.

In the meantime, get your coals white hot. Oil the grill and brush two filleted mackerel with oil on both sides. Once the coals are medium hot place the fillets, skin side down, onto the grill. Now, the most important step; leave them alone. Don’t touch them at all for about four minutes. By this point they should be translucent around the edges and come away from the grill easily. The skin should be crispy and black in places. Flip the fish onto the flesh side and cook for one minute longer, just to cook through. Remove the fish from the heat and place in a large, shallow dish. Pour over the marinade and leave for at least ten minutes.

As you have lots of time to spare with this recipe you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sort out sides. The Spanish dish of roasted vegetables, escalivada, basically a charred ratatouille, would be appropriate here and can be prepared while the coals are still quite hot. Tapenade, the black olive and anchovy dip, is also great with this, hunks of bread and some large, floppy lettuce dressed with salt, a scant squeeze lemon juice and black pepper to mop up the warm juices.

When the weather is cold, fish in the North Atlantic really come into their own. Cod and it’s relatives pollock, whiting and ling, the now popular gurnard and rather pricey monkfish are all at their peak during bleakest winter. However, that’s not to say that once the sun is out our seas don’t have anything to offer.

Crustaceans, although available all year, start to look better than they did a few months ago with prices beginning to drop and claws looking meatier. Although it can be interesting to kill, cook and pull the meat from your own crab – certainly giving you a better sense of what you’re eating – it can be a bit of a chore and a messy one at that. Best we think to leave the hassle to a fishmonger and buy dressed crab instead. For a little bit extra he will boil and butcher the mini beast for you and alleviate the daunting sounding task of removing the ‘dead man’s fingers’, leaving you with a bit of shell and the separated white and brown meat.

Our European Brown Crab has reasonably large claws, particularly males, and it’s these that supply us with the white meat. Sweet and similar in taste to lobster meat with a characteristically flaky texture. Within the crab shell itself lies the soft, rich brown meat. Spreadable, almost a pate in itself, with high levels of Omega 3 and bags of flavour. This is really the beauty of the crab as food, these two different textures and flavour profiles really add to the versatility of the meat. White meat is fantastic with pasta, in sandwiches and mixed into salads whereas the brown meat is perfect for subtly enriching sauces and soups.

To start try a take on the classic rarebit, a mix of white and brown meat, double cream, a strong, salty cheese like Montgomery’s cheddar or parmesan and a few shakes of Tabasco and Worcester sauce all spread on hot toast and left under the grill until browned and bubbling. Tarragon wouldn’t go amiss here. Alternatively, add extra cream put the mix into a small gratin dish, top with the cheese and some breadcrumbs and bake on high for 15 minutes or so for a traditional devilled crab.

Like it’s relatives prawns, crayfish and lobster, crab also responds well to mild (or fiery) spicing, it’s sweetness carrying gentle aromas like anise and citrus around the palette. Try a crab masala; fry off brown mustard seeds (1 Tbsp), fennel seeds (2 tsp), cumin seeds (1 tsp) and a few cardamom pods (4-5). Add a finely chopped red onion, a couple of crushed garlic cloves, ginger and green chillies and fry until softened. Toss in a little turmeric and the brown meat and stir to combine. After a minute or so tip in enough coconut milk to bring the mix together into a sauce and simmer briefly to allow the flavours to combine. Once the gravy is smooth and rich add the white meat, chopped coriander and a good squeeze of lime juice. Allow enough time to heat through and serve with soft, warm naan breads and a kachumber salad of smashed cucumber, cherry tomatoes, a little raw onion, coriander or mint and plenty of lime juice or vinegar.

Finally tinned crab, although a little weak in flavour, isn’t all bad and makes a reasonable midweek dinner in a chopped Thai style salad with lots of crunchy veg like lettuce or cabbage, radishes and carrots and a quick dressing of lime juice, sesame oil and honey.

Flowers and greenery suddenly pop up at this time of year. Where before there was just grey sky and bare twigs there are now leaves, bright green and dripping with fresh spring rain. Flowerbeds too begin to flourish and as the daffodils and cherry blossoms fade away more and more fragile and fleeting petals take their places.

Nasturtiums can be seen everywhere from mid spring, from meadows to town centre roundabouts, and have been eaten for centuries. Like lots of things we consider ‘European’ they were reclaimed from distant lands. Originally bought to Europe from their native Peru by Spanish conquistadors after they observed the Incas using them medicinally, they were highly prized as both vegetable and an exotic flower, making appearances on plates and in royal flowerbeds from the Iberian peninsula to the low lands of Belgium and Holland.

As a food stuff it began to fall out of favour in the early 1800s. Exported back to North America the little, brightly coloured flowers were planted ornamentally across the new nation and were allowed a little peace to grow haphazardly across gardens around the civilised world. Still though, the Nasturtium never fell from fashion among many country cooks and was always known for it’s fresh, spicy flavour not dissimilar from watercress. This becomes even more apparent when we look at the roots (no pun intended) of the words – cresso is old German for spicy and both their latin names; nasturtium come from nasus tortus, or ‘twisted nose’ which you’ll understand if you’ve ever seen someone eat too much horseradish in one go.

The whole plant is edible and the seed pods are remarkably similar to capers. Although capers are actually unopened flower buds the seed pods can be harvested in much the same way and after brining at room temperature for 3 days and then pickling in a lightly sweetened wine vinegar with a few herbs the little pods make a beautifully traditional and British alternative to Italian grown capers. Do bare in mind though that nasturtium seed pods contain quite a lot of oxalic acid, just like gooseberries, rhubarb and sorrel. While this is fine in small amounts eating too much of these can cause kidney stones.

For those without a garden full of edible flowers the leaves and petals are easy to get hold of and make a perfect addition to summer salads. Simply pair the leaves with something creamier like a little gem or a butterhead lettuce and toss with a gentle vinaigrette. This side can be taken a little further with the addition of some young goat’s cheese like Mary Holbrook’s Sleightlett or Neal’s Yard Dairy’s Perroche tossed in too. Try melting the cheese under the grill first or preserving it with herb infused olive oil for something even more profound.

The chemical that makes the leaves so spicy is exactly the same as the spice in watercress, horseradish and wasabi so use those as a springboard for inspiration. Flaked, smoked trout and a few leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice. Steak, just rare and rested for 5 minutes with a caper (or seed pod) butter and nasturtiums tossed in the pan juices. Or try them in an omelette with a few sliced mushrooms or a sprinkling of grated Gruyère and a glass of cold white wine on the side.

Finally try to remember ‘what grows together, goes together’ so toss the leaves or flowers in with whatever spring vegetables you can find for something that works every time. Broad beans and asparagus, peas and courgettes, artichokes and fennel. A few crisp fried lardons, cured ham or warm, crumbled feta would be nice here too. You can push the boat out with the flowers as a garnish, they look good on basically anything. Especially green stuff. Take inspiration from the garden, still glistening from seemingly long passed April Showers. Rabbit, snail and nasturtium paella anyone?

Although, officially, the traditional season for asparagus doesn’t start until 1 May we see it earlier and earlier every year. Cultivated for over 3000 years, you can also find it growing in the wild, with thicker, bushier stems and even stronger diuretic properties – as Proust said, Asparagus… ‘transforms my chamber pot into a flask of perfume’.

Asparagus comes in two main varieties here, green and white. Although in Britain we’ve really always eaten ‘sparrow grass’ in its pure, green shoot form, the rest of Europe tends to blanch it in a similar way to the white parts of a leek or forced rhubarb. Covered with earth the young plants are starved of light and this increases the production of sugars, in turn sweetening the shoot and improving it’s tenderness. We, on the other hand, have come to love it’s slight bitter notes, subdued nutty flavour and gentle crunch with many heralding the asparagus season as the true beginning of spring.

The first shoots should almost always be enjoyed by themselves. Snapped in two, towards the bottom of the spear to remove the woody part and poached until just they only just lose their rigidity, they need no extra gilding, just glaringly simple additions. Bread, butter, a squeeze of lemon. A boiled egg to dip them in. Melted butter, black pepper.

But alas, less than a month into the season and we begin to look for exciting and new things to do with our tender sprouts. All too often they appear in a stir fry. The key is still simplicity. Poached for less time and chargrilled they become even nuttier. Wrapped in Serrano ham or very thin bacon and left under a grill until golden. Cotherstone, Parmesan or Stawley all bring something worthwhile. Hollandaise.

Still, eventually we want more! Think eggs, dairy and delicate, sweet flavoured meats. An egg, fried or poached is always welcome. A rich, runny yolk with a few drops of vinegar is a fine lubricant. Labneh, the soft, middle eastern cheese made from strained yoghurt is a nice change too. Try rolling balls of labneh in dukkah, an egyptian nut and spice mix, and serving with hot spears dressed in oil and lemon juice.

Pork Belly. That wonderful, fatty and yielding cut. Cubed and fried slowly, a handful of spears sliced on the diagonal added towards the end and shredded wild garlic or wilted sorrel to bring the dish into it’s own. Crab, scallops or prawns are good too with their subtle, sweet notes and change in texture. A simple noodle broth made with chicken stock infused with ginger, star anise and spring onions, topped with garlic fried prawns and ribboned asparagus (use a vegetable peeler down the length of the spear for this) left in the broth for just enough time to soften.

The Asparagus season only lasts until midsummer and it sells out quickly, leaving latecomers with stalks that can be a little on the woody side so get them into hot water as fast as you can and treat yourself to a most simple, personal indulgence.

Originally called the ‘Alligator Pear’, Californian farmers were forced to petition the government in the 1920’s to officially change the name of such a poorly selling, strange fruit. Back then Mexico was the main source of the avocado, used in their moles and as a side to many dishes for the last 10,000 years, but it really hadn’t caught on in the American market until, once again, the farmers came together in the 1970’s and made a push towards the new health food movement.

This, obviously, took off and now we regularly find ourselves enjoying the peculiar South American fruit for breakfast and lunch, crushed with chilli flakes into olive oil soaked bread. But this isn’t all it’s good for; although it doesn’t stand up to, or really even need cooking, even half an avocado blitzed and added to a soup, rich with greens and spiked with lime will not only add a certain richness but also help to thicken. It also makes a fine chocolate ‘mousse’ when whipped with a tablespoon of good cocoa and enough honey to convince it into becoming a pudding.

Finally there is, of course, guacamole. What Mexican feast would be complete without it? A fine dice of green chillies, tomatoes, plenty of coriander and lime juice and a hint of garlic stirred through a perfectly ripe hass. There is also, apparently, a worrying invention from the late 70’s made from an equal mix of guacamole and taramasalata. Try it at your own risk but perhaps some things are best left forgotten.